Music Area of Study 3

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All Blues, Miles Davies

The frontline consists of: a trumpet, alto sax and tenor sax. The rhythm section has: a piano, bass and drums. 

'All Blues' is based on the 12-bar blues progession. The main melody is called the head and is played with a harmon muted trumpet. There is a simple 4-bar riff in parellel 3rds. 

The head melody is quite simple and is characterised by rising 6ths. The 4 solos are: trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax and piano solo. 

'All Blues" is in G major but with a flattened 7th. It is an example of modal jazz.

It is in 6/4 and the tempo is described as jazz waltz. It is performed with swing quavers and there is frequent syncopation. 

The snare drum is played with wire brushes, the bass plays pizzicato and the piano plays a tremelo.

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Grace, Buckley

The instruments are: guitars, bass guitar, synthesiser, strings and drum kit. 

Modulation, distortion, overdubbing and EQ are the various effects played by the instruments. 

The song is in verse-chorus form. 

The song is in E minor, although the tonality is often ambiguous. The chords are chromatic and move in parallel motion. Some of the harmonies are very dissonant.

The vocal part has an improvised quality and a very wide range of over 2 octaves. Most of the vocal phrases are falling. The word setting is syllabic. 

The metre is 12/8. 

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Why does my heart feel so bad?, Moby

Based on 2 samples, from gospel choir. Both have been manipulated. The have a vintage feel because Moby didnt clean them. The samples are looped.

Based on verse-chorus structure. After second verse the is a breakdown (1 bar silence). The texture is built up, after breakdown texture becomes thinner. Contrasts in texture are provided by: varying instrumentation for each 8-bar section; the use of silence; sections with just static chords for the accompaniment.

The metre is 4/4 with a steady tempo. The drum loop is made up of a breakbeat. Repeated semiquavers are played on the shaker. Syncopation is used in the paino, vocal and synthesised string parts. Rhythms are varied between sections to provide contrast.

Instruments: synthesisers, sampler, drum machine, sequencer. Various effects such as: panning, introduction, 'electric ghostings', reverb, delay and echoes.

Harmony is diatonic. First sample is Am, Em, G, D. (Amazing Emily Goes Dancing). Second sample is C, Am, C, Am then F, C, F, C. Verses are in Dorian mode on A, and the choruses in C major.

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